Born again
Village Hatiyaniki. Fifteen-odd people have gathered to discuss water harvesting activities in the vicinity. But there's just one face among the crowd, which is conspicuous enough to attract attention. Bereft of tact, his often-blunt interjections are received by a smirk from the other like-minded participants. But being unconventional only comes naturally to him, so he'd rather go and smoke a bidi outside before conformity enervates him. It's difficult to rein in Kalyan Gujjar -- he is his own master -- but if he sets his eyes on something, it's rare to see him not take it to fruition. And as of now, his eyes are set on taking the water harvesting system in his village Khejura in Rajasthan to heights neither conceived nor envisaged before.
In his case, appearances can be deceptive. Don't go by his torn vest and dirty dhoti or his overbearing temperament. Behind all this is a man who doesn't like to dwell on his sanctimonious past, preferring to forget it as a night-long nightmare. "I was one of the most agile members of the group (read dacoits)," he says, but his tone is far from haughty, so he prefers to quickly move on to talking about Tarun Bharat Sangh's (tbs) accomplishments in the area instead of his escapades. "tbs has been responsible in providing an opportunity to people like us to stay away from dacoity. If it would not have been for
Like Jagdish, most of his time is spent convincing people about making water harvesting a part of their daily life. "Earlier it was difficult to get people to discuss, but now things are changing," he says of his experience. His life led on the edge has also come of use to tbs . When a
We are a voice to you; you have been a support to us. Together we build journalism that is independent, credible and fearless. You can further help us by making a donation. This will mean a lot for our ability to bring you news, perspectives and analysis from the ground so that we can make change together.
Comments are moderated and will be published only after the site moderator’s approval. Please use a genuine email ID and provide your name. Selected comments may also be used in the ‘Letters’ section of the Down To Earth print edition.